Alexis Ruiz won the compound women's title at the 2026 Hyundai Archery World Cup Final in Saltillo, Mexico, edging Dafne Quintero 145-144 on the last arrow. The 12 September victory made the American the first U.S. woman to claim the season-ending crown since Jamie Van Natta at Tokyo 2021.
Zero ends Lopez's bid for a tenth
The route to gold swung open in the semifinals. Colombia's Sara Lopez, the record nine-time champion, shot a zero on one arrow against Ruiz. The uncharacteristic miss handed Ruiz a 142-134 win and stunned the Plaza de Armas crowd that had expected another Lopez coronation.
Ruiz had already survived a shoot-off in the quarterfinals, tied 143-143 with Estonia's Lisell Jaatma before advancing. Quintero reached the final by edging Britain's Ella Gibson in a shoot-off of her own after a 146-146 deadlock.
One arrow, one point
The gold-medal match never drifted beyond a single point across all five ends. Quintero, carried by the home crowd, matched Ruiz arrow for arrow until the final release. Ruiz held her nerve to close the contest 145-144.
"The duel against Dafne was very close; it was literally decided on the last arrow," Ruiz told reporters afterwards. "I can't even describe the joy I feel right now."
Ruiz, 27, arrived in Saltillo with World Championship mixed-team gold and Pan American Games team gold already in her collection. She rose to world number one in 2019 after medalling at all four World Cup stages that season, yet a World Cup Final title had remained the missing piece. On a September evening in Coahuila, the American archer finally closed the gap between a fine career and its defining moment.
